Your Health

Reduce Your Risk Of Stroke

Posted 12/3/2010

Simple steps can help you avoid America’s third-largest killer: stroke.

(NAPSI) - One in every six people in the world will suffer a stroke in his or her lifetime regardless of age, gender, ethnic origin or country. The American Heart Association and World Stroke Organization want you to take action now to lower your chances of having a stroke. There are steps you can take to make a difference:

What You Can Do

Take the American Heart Association’s My Life Check health assessment (strokeassociation.org/worldstrokeday), an online tool that calculates how healthy you are, teaches how to create an action plan to achieve better health and provides simple steps to change unhealthy behavior.

The WSO also offers six simple steps that can help you avoid America’s No. 3 killer:

1. Know your personal risk factors for stroke: high blood pressure, diabetes and high blood cholesterol.

2. Be physically active and exercise regularly.

3. Adopt a healthy diet.

4. Limit alcohol consumption.

5. Avoid cigarette smoke. If you smoke, seek help to stop now.

6. Learn to recognize the warning signs of a stroke and how to take action by dialing 9-1-1 immediately.

Doctor’s Advice

Jeffrey Saver, M.D., chairman of the American Stroke Association’s Stroke Council and director of the UCLA Stroke Center, said: “Stroke occurs when a blood vessel in or leading to the brain bursts or is blocked by a blood clot. When this happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood or oxygen it needs, so it starts to die; depending on the severity, immobility or paralysis may occur.

“Stroke may deprive a person of his or her livelihood, diminish independence and create a burden that must be shared by family members and society. So by avoiding stroke, we can help reduce the burden to our loved ones and society.”

Learn More

To take the assessment, learn more about stroke and what you can do to take action, visit www.strokeassociation.org/worldstrokeday or call (888) 4STROKE.